The present invention relates to a V grooving machine capable of cutting a V groove in natural, synthetic or engineered stone at a high rate of speed.
It is known to cut one or more V grooves in a sheet of wood or plastic solid surfacing material followed by folding and gluing the material at the V groove to form a joint. This fabrication method is commonly used in the manufacture of countertops as well as cabinets and other box like products. These V grooving processes have advantages including relatively low costs and production of strong joints. Recently, engineered stone products have been developed which mimic the feel and appearance of natural stone, such as marble, granite, onyx, etc. Such engineered products are becoming more prevalent for use as countertops in kitchens and other areas. These engineered stones however, are not as easily cut in V grooving machine of the prior art, as the cutting process is generally a wet process utilizing water as a cooling and lubricating medium and dust or waste removal. In addition, the rate of speed of the cutting operation is relatively slow in order to maintain a clean cut to allow the material to be glued at the V groove to form a joint. There thus remains a need for a simple and rapid method of forming V grooves in natural, synthetic or engineered stone material.
The present invention provides for an apparatus for forming a V groove in a sheet of natural, synthetic or engineered stone material. The apparatus comprises a table for supporting a work piece of natural, synthetic or engineered stone material to be cut, two or more cutting heads aligned to cut along the same line of the work piece of natural, synthetic or engineered stone material and a means of moving the work piece or the cutting heads relative to one another to cut the V groove in the natural, synthetic or engineered stone work piece. Each of the cutting heads removes material from the natural, synthetic or engineered stone work piece with the final cutting head forming the shape of the desired V groove. Each of the cutting heads is provided with a means for air cooling the cutting surfaces.
In an aspect of the invention, the apparatus is provided with two cutting heads, the first cutting head removing the majority of the material of the natural, synthetic or engineered stone work piece to form the V groove and the second cutting head forming the final V groove structure in the work piece of natural, synthetic or engineered material.
In another aspect of the invention the apparatus includes a belt drive to move the work piece past stationary cutting heads.